CMD Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 2

Question 1

A Medical Director reviews a study where patients were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, and neither patients nor researchers knew who received the treatment. What study design is this?

Accepted Answer

Double-blind randomized controlled trial

Answer

A double-blind RCT assigns participants randomly while masking both participants and investigators to treatment allocation, minimizing performance and detection bias.

Question 2

Which statistical measure best describes the strength of association between a risk factor and an outcome in a case-control study?

Accepted Answer

Odds ratio

Answer

Case-control studies calculate odds ratios because incidence rates cannot be directly determined from this retrospective design.

Question 3

A CMD evaluates a quality improvement initiative. The PDSA cycle stands for:

Accepted Answer

Plan, Do, Study, Act

Answer

The Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle is the foundational iterative model for quality improvement in healthcare settings.

Question 4

In a clinical study, the p-value is 0.03 with a significance threshold of 0.05. Which conclusion is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

The null hypothesis is rejected

Answer

A p-value below the predetermined alpha (0.05) indicates sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis, though this does not confirm clinical significance.

Question 5

A Medical Director wants to understand why nursing staff resist a new protocol. Which research approach is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Qualitative focus groups

Answer

Qualitative methods such as focus groups elicit in-depth perspectives on attitudes, beliefs, and experiences underlying behavioral resistance.

(CMD) Certified Medical Director Practice Test

(CMD) Certified Medical Director Practice Test

CMD Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 2